Those who want a fresh perspective and a quiet place to contemplate New Year’s goals should get an early start and head south of Half Moon Bay to San Gregorio State Beach. Blissfully quiet on early winter mornings, the wide…

No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to…

Here’s a perfect fall hike that could easily become a new tradition. Make your way to Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve in the Oakland Hills for a 3.5-mile (round-trip) hike alongside the East Bay’s 10-million-year-old volcano. Start on the Bay Area…

If you like edgy, windswept, impossibly romantic coastal vistas, then do the short hike on Wilbur’s Watch Trail near Pescadero. The goal: Find the lone bench at the end of the continent. It’s just a short, short hike, 0.5 mile…

Hankering to hit the beach? Don’t dilly dally—Dillon dally! Often overlooked, Dillon Beach in Marin can be magical in fall when the mist lifts to reveal a 1-mile swath of wide and sandy terrain backed by dunes and dotted with…